The Art of LEGO Design

September 15, 2014
Combining a history of Lego, interviews with prominent Lego builders and ideas for bringing models to the next level of inventiveness, this book will speak both to readers who are just starting out and to those looking to refine their skills. From descriptions of scale and the uses of many of the Lego elements to discussions of patterns, textures and composition, Schwartz takes the usual themes for Lego models-figures, buildings, vehicles, animals, robots and mechs, and spacecraft-and shows readers how to build(!) on those ideas. The format makes this accessible to a wide age range: Photos of amazing models will pique younger readers' interest and have them reading the fine print (and wishing the margins between the columns were bigger) to figure out how to replicate them (though there are no building instructions). Meanwhile, older readers will be engrossed in the interviews and descriptions of how to create shapes that accurately reflect reality, something that can sometimes be difficult with the blocky plastic bricks. A few standouts include the SNOT building technique-Studs Not On Top-making mosaics with cheese-slope bricks (don't miss the stained-glass windows made using this technique) and photography techniques for capturing models for posterity. From where to buy those elements you just gotta have to where to go to find inspiration, Schwartz has included it all, and Lego fans will want this close to hand as both inspiration and guide for their next builds. (Nonfiction. 9 & up)

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